"Grave Deficiency": Delhi High Court Issues Notice On PIL Seeking To Fill Up Staff Vacancies In City Prisons

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on a PIL seeking filling up of various staff vacancies in city prisons including those of Medical Officers, Welfare Officers, Counsellors, Teachers for Education, Yoga Teachers and Education Vocational Counsellors.

Moved by Advocate Amit Sahni, the plea avers that apart from aforesaid vacancies, the city Prisons are facing 20.25% staff shortage. It makes Delhi Government and Director General of Prisons as the party respondents.

The plea states that the shortage of prison staff is a reason for inadequate management of Delhi Jails which sometimes leads to violence upon the errant inmates by the Jail Staff.

It seeks to constitute and notify Board of Visitors, Service Board, State Advisory Board and Prison Development Board as provided in Delhi Prison Act 2000 and Delhi Prison Rules 2018, in the larger interest of prisoners lodged in city Jails as well as in the interest of the Prison Administration.

The Court has directed the Respondents to file a status report with regard to the sanctioned strength of various posts which have been set out in the writ petition as well as the number of vacancies filled and those which remain unfilled.

The Respondents have further been directed to disclose the reasons for such vacancies not being filled and what steps have been initiated to fill up the vacant posts.

"The Respondents must immediately initiate the process, if not already initiated, of filling up vacancies and expedite the steps wherever the process is underway and pending. A status report be filed in 6 weeks," the order stated.

The matter will now be heard on 18 July.

Case Title: AMIT SAHNI v. GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ANR